Brentwood College School - Brentonian Yearbook (Mill Bay, British Columbia Canada)

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VALEDICTORIAN ' S SPEECH Awards Day — June 1977 Honoured Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, Fellow Graduates: First I suppose some thanks to my classmates are in order for y election to the honourable post of Valedictorian. However, as there is no excuse for this decision I will refrain. My speech will be mercifully short as Steven Paste ate my manuscript before I could memorize it. And so the time has come for the class of 77 to bid farewell to Brentwood. Reflecting on this brings a flood of memories to mind, most of which cannot be recounted in the presence of the Head- master. Many vignettes of school life stick in my mind: our tour group elicitly collecting souvenirs in the pubs of Great Britain, Mr. Prowse graphically reliving World War One in history class, our rowers and chemistry students working their fingers to the Bone, Mr. Bunch turning purple in English class, Bert, our night watchman, doing his duty in the face of insurmountable odds, and, of course, who could forget John and Rose? These and many other such memories we will try to keep in mind, for certainly none of us want to forget all the good times we have had during our tenure at this school. However, maybe I am painting a rather rosy picture of this year ' s graduate experience at Brentwood. We have had many en- joyable days and nights, but admittedly, the good times have often been marred by moments of tension, frustration, and even despair. Brentwood, being such a tight community, is not the type of school where one can shirk his responsibilities, and I must admit that sometimes the strength of character required to face these respon- sibilities was found wanting. But Brentwood has given us much ; here we have been given the opportunity to discipline ourselves in the pursuit of excellence. And so we have often been successful in our endeavours: on the playing fields of British Columbia and the British Isles, on the waters of St. Catharines, on the dramatic stage, and, yes, sometimes even in the classrooms of Mill Bay as well. Now that the diplomas have been handed out we can look to the future with confidence and curiosity at what lies ahead. This day marks not only the end of our Brentwood career, but also the end of a new headmaster ' s first year in office. The senior class ap- preciates the fact that this year has been as much a learning ex- perience for Mr. Ross as it has been for us. For his patience and unending willingness to listen to what we had to say, we thank him and wish him all the best in the years to come. In closing, what is left to be said? Only thank you, no matter how inadequate it is. Thank you for everything. Don ' t forget your diploma when you leave. And now, if you will excuse me, I have an exam to write. Forbes Angus June 24, 1977 4

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VALET David Ewert Stepping into Robert Common ' s boots was a daunting task for anyone, but in his one year at the school, Dave Ewert proved to be a worthy successor. He brought his leadership and enthusiasm to the Rambling programme; to the classroom, where he taught History; to basketball and Ellis House, where he was Mr. Wynne ' s assistant. Our best wishes go with him to Prince George. Mary Jane McLennan Miss McLennan leaves Brentwood after a year teaching Biology and Mathematics. She was frequently to be seen introducing classes to the Mill Bay flora and fauna, and vice versa, and sowing confusion in the ranks of the local crabs. We wish Mary Jane every happiness in her new job. Charles Evans A hitherto undiagnosed masochistic streak was the apparent reason for Charlie ' s decision to return to Brentwood as a teacher before taking up a place at Stanford. Evidently unfamiliar with the word ' bed ' , he could be found in the Staff room at 3 a.m. more often than the rest of us during the day, yet he still managed to hold his own with computers and students the following morning. We wish him good luck and every happiness at Stanford. Jan Lanyon Jan was the power behind the throne in two administrations, presiding over the transition from the Mackenzie era to the Age of Ross with charm and efficiency. Her unflappable calm and ready smile were priceless assets in a job demanding a secretary ' s skills and a diplomat ' s tact; at times she seemed able to carry on a con- versation while typing, with a ' phone at each ear. And, incredibly, she always knew where Mr. Ross was. Jan and her husband, Greg, leave the island to face the hazards of life on the mainland. Our thanks and best wishes go with them. 3

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W. T. Ross, Headmaster HEADMASTER ' S REPORT Awards Day — June 24, 1977 Ladies and Gentlemen : May I first welcome this large group of parents, friends, and students to our annual presentation of awards. Through your number it is a delight to witness your enthusiasm for joining us on this important occasion. Over this past year I have been asked to make comment about the Board of Governors and the school ' s financial position. May I therefore begin by speaking about the Board, its functions, and the support I have enjoyed from them in my first year as Headmaster. The Board, chaired by Mr. Brian Bramall, consists of nineteen other active and very enthusiastic people. Geographically, we have representation from as far east as Ontario. The majority, of course, are resident in British Columbia and Alberta. To be con- sidered for membership on the Board, a person must gain a nomination and a seconder from a member of the existing group. You should know that several on the Board at the present time have come to know us first as parents, or are themselves grad- uates of Brentwood College. Naturally, I fully endorse the in- clusion of parents and Brentwood Graduates on the Board, so I sincerely hope that there are several among you who will be will- ing, at some future time, to serve in this most important role. The functions of the Board deserve and require more time than I . can give them in this statement. However, I will mention finance as a major responsibility. The wise, experienced business minds on the present Board have put and kept this school in excellent finan- cial shape. I believe I have witnessed wisdom in every financial decision the governors have made this year in taking each dollar of revenue and putting it back to work on behalf of the students in the school. For your information, and by way of example, the college purchased twelve additional acres, consisting of the treed area im- mediately to the north to provide us with badly needed extra space. You will be interested to know that I have arranged for topographical survey work to begin next week in preparation for the development of new playing fields in the near future. The Board has fully supported my fund raising efforts for the library and assisted me greatly in providing $7,000 of additional money with which 1800 new volumes were purchased. These are only a few examples of several key decisions which have been reached to keep this school progressing in a highly responsible, business-like fashion. We therefore enter next year in first class financial condi- tion. These words about the Board lead me to mention Bill 33, the Act which if proclaimed would provide financial support for indepen- dent schools. Our governors have endorsed this proposed legisla- tion and I find myself in complete agreement with their stand. The Bill in its unamended form provides a system for making grants that will allow the school that receives such aid to protect itself against intrusion to its autonomy. The financial support which at the earliest will not come before August 1978, will be issued on a per capita basis with respect to the number of British Columbia students we have in the school. I must emphasize that although the Board welcomes financial support in recognition to the contribu- tion that schools such as Brentwood make to education in British Columbia, grants will not be accepted unless the freedom to main- tain our present philosophy, programmes and staffing remains in- tact. Now let me move this discussion to an in-campus setting and tell you about this school year which I believe has been one of the most productive in our history. Excellence in performance has sur- faced frequently from our undertakings in academics, fine arts and sports. In academics there is a lack of external standards through which our achievement can be fairly and accurately measured. Nevertheless, in provincial scholarship competitions last June, which are arranged on a school district basis, the independent schools in this region dominated the winners list. Brentwood College gathered more of them than any other school. In the English Composition scholarship qualifying examination we presented 20 candidates this year and 19 were successful. In inter- national mathematics competition this school finished top on Van- couver Island, 6th in British Columbia, and at the 85 percentile of all schools in North America who participated. The symposium Continued on next page 5